Wrench



1935- M. c.- R. BULGARINI WRENCH Filed Nov 8, 1934 Patented Oct. 8, 1935 UNITED STATES; PATENT OFFICE WRENCH Maria Ciulli Ruggieri Bulgarini, Rome, Italy Application November 8, 1934, Serial No. 752,126

In Great Britain 3 Claims.

This invention relates to wrenches, pipe tongs and like tools involving two jaws between which a nut pipe or other device is required to be gripped for the purpose of being rotated by the tool.

an improved means for adjusting the jaws relatively to one another for difierent sizes of article to be gripped therebetween so as to dispense with any worm and rack and like means whereby the handle may be made perfectly smooth while at the same time the tool may be simply and cheaply constructed and can quite conveniently. be adjusted and manipulated by the use of one hand.

The invention consists in a wrench or like device embodying a fixed and a movable jaw characterized by a clamping device for the mov-' able jaw adapted to impose a resistance to the movement of the jaw proportional to the force tending to separate the jaws.

The invention also consists in a wrench or like device embodying a fixed and a movable jaw characterized by the movable jaw acting on a spring-controlled lever carried by a stirrup or like member embracing the handle of the tool and betweenwhich member and the lever the handle is clamped as in a vice when a force is applied tending to separate the jaws whereby movement of the movable jaw is prevented.

Further features of the invention will be apparent from the description given hereafter.

The accompanying drawing illustrates one mode of carrying out the invention.

Figure 1 is an elevation of a wrench .with a part removed.

Figure 2 is an outside elevation of a part of the complete wrench. I

Figures 3 and 4 are views showing details.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional elevation of the upperpart of the wrench, and

v Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the of operation. Y r

In carrying my invention into efiect in one convenient manner as, for example, in its application to a spanner I form my improved tool with a fixed jaw member a of suitable size and shape formed integrally with or rigidly attached to a handle b of suitable length and of rectangular or other convenient shape in cross section.

principle able jaw member I arrange a U'-shaped or stirrup member e adapted to embrace three sides of the handle and at the open end of said member I 55 pivotally arrange a lever j which is adapted to be The object of the present invention is to provide' Slidable upon the handle isv a movable jaw I member and within an opening d in such mov-' November 13, 1933 controlled by a suitable spring 9 so that the arrangement as it were floats in the opening in the movable jaw. The pivoted lever f has what I may term a heel end I contacting with the handle of the tool and a toeend which contacts with a shoulder h formed in the opening (1 in the movable jaw member, this last mentioned point being the only point of contact between the movable jaw and the operative mechanism carried in the opening thereof. The arrangement is such that 10 any pressure tending to separate the jaws is applied to the toe of the aforesaid lever whereby the heel of the-lever is pressed firmly against the handle of the tool, and further pressure upon the toe of the lever tends to cause the latter to pivot about the heel end as a fulcrum thereby drawing the closed end of the stirrup or U member firmly into contact with the handle so that the latter will be held between the stirrup and the heel end of the lever as it were in a vice and the pressure tending to clamp the handle and thus prevent movement of the movable jaw will be proportional to the pressure tending to separate the jaws or at all events approximately so. Thus it is characteristic of the tool in accordance with the invention that the greater-is the force tending to move the movable jaw away from the fixed jaw, the greater will be the resistance imposed to said movement. The mode of operation will be clearly followed from the diagram given in Figure 6 in which the arrows W and V show'the forces clamping the handle.

For the purpose of enabling the movable jaw c readily to be adjusted in position upon the handle I cover the opening d in the movable jaw with a thin plate 1' of a springy or resilient character, such plate being secured to the movable jaw at one end only, as at if, and having its other end slightly separated from the jaw. Upon the inner side of the plate is a projection 74; adapted, when the plate is pressed inwards by thumb or finger pressure as shown in Figure 5, to be interposed and to fit between the upper surface of the U member e and the adjacent surface of the opening it within the jaw, the arrangement being such that with the parts in this position the movable jaw member may. readily be slid into any position upon the handle. Upon the release of the spring plate the parts immediately assume thecondition under which pressure upon the movable jaw tends toclamp the same upon the handle. In some cases in place of arranging the mechanism within an opening in the movable jaw member such mechanism may be arranged upon 55 'the outside of said jaw member in any position v in which it may be made to operate upon the handle in the manner above described.

It will be understood that the foregoing details of construction are given purely to illustrate the nature of the invention and not exactly to de-limit its scope and I may vary the construction of operative mechanism and the means adopted for arranging the same in relation to the movable jaw member depending upon the character of tool to which the invention is to be applied or any practical requirements that may have to be fulfilled.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:--

i. A wrench comprising a shank, a fixed jaw carried by the shank, a movable jaw slidable on the shank and having an opening therein, one end of which is ofiset to provide a shoulder, a U- member freely supported in said opening and embracing the shank on three sides, a lever within said opening pivoted on the fourth side of said U-member and having a heel end engaging the shank and a toe end adapted to be engaged by the shoulder formed in the opening of the movable jaw and a spring located between the movable jaw and the lever and tending to press the heel end of the lever against the shank.

2. A wrench or the like according to claim 1, in which means are provided on the movable jaw for actuating the U-member for enabling the movable jaw to be readily adjusted to any desired position on the handle.

3. A wrench or the like according to claim 1, in which a spring plate is provided to cover the opening, and a. projection on the plate adapted to be interposed between the U-memberand an adjacent surface of the opening to permit the movable jaw to be slid on the handle.

MARIA CIULLI RUGGIERI BULGARINI. 

